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Maharashtra

Maharashtra political crisis: SC reserves Shiv Sena case to decide on referring to larger 7-Judge Bench

Published

4 years ago

on

uddhav shinde

New Delhi: A 5-judge Constitution Bench, headed by Chief Justice D Y Chandrachud, on Thursday reserved its verdict on the Maharashtra political crisis triggered by split in the Shiv Sena in June last year on whether to refer it to a larger 7-judge Bench in the context of 2016 Nagam Rebia verdict on powers of Assembly speaker to handle disqualification pleas.

Senior advocates Kapil Sibal and Abhishek Manu Singhvi, appearing for former CM Uddhav Thackeray, wanted a larger Bench to decide since the Rebia verdict was also by a 5-judge Bench.

The Bench sat beyond the break up to 1.45 pm to hear submissions from the senior lawyers appearing from Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and ex-CM Thackeray.

Heard counel from parties. Arguments addressed on the question of Nabam Rebia being referred to a larger bench. Orders reserved,” the CJI said on behalf of the Bench comprising Justices M R Shah, Krishna Murari, Hima Kohli and P S Narasimha.

Nabam Rebia case of Arunachal Pradesh

In 2016, a five-judge constitution bench, while deciding the Nabam Rebia case of Arunachal Pradesh, had held that the assembly speaker cannot proceed with a plea for disqualification of MLAs if a prior notice seeking removal of the speaker is pending decision in the House.

The judgement had come to the rescue of the rebel MLAs led by Eknath Shinde, now the chief minister of Maharashtra. The Thackeray faction had sought their disqualification noting that a prior notice seeking removal of the Deputy Speaker was pending in the House.

In the instant case, the Shinde group had sought removal of deputy speaker Narhari Zirwar, having an allegiance to Thackeray group, ahd asserted that he cannot disqualify anybody when a notice for his removal is pending.

‘Manipulation in legislature’

Sibal pleaded with the court not to allow toppling of the elected governments the way Shinde group did as it is a fundamental principle of democracy. He said what was done in Maharashtra was manipulation in the legislature, stressing that “it will happen and it has already happened.”

He said even if a thumping majority of say 40 out of 50 revolt, they can be disqualified by the Speaker or the Deputy Speaker under the 10th Schedule of the Constitution. Only the merger of the defectors with another party can save them from disqualification.

He and Singhvi ridiculed the Shinde group quoting the Nabam Rebia ruling in their notice against then deputy speaker of the Maharashtra Assembly, but their senior lawyers Harish Salve, N K Kaul and Mahesh Jethmalani now oppose a larger bench to vet the Rebia ruling. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Maharashtra governor, also opposed reference to a 7-judge bench as it will delay the finality.


How Shinde became Maharashtra CM

They argued that Thackeray was asked by the Governor to prove his majority on June 30, but he resigned a day earlier and that led to Shinde becoming the Chief Minister. Sibal said the Shinde group rushed a notice to then deputy speaker to paralyse him.

He ridiculed the lawyers of Shinde group claiming that the issue is only academic, but the fact is that it has elected a new Speaker who cannot be removed now by the Thackeray group.

Sibal also indirectly hinted how then Justice Arun Mishra heard the defection case of Rajasthan against the Congress government almost on daily basis while putting off the Goa case for two years since the Congress MLAs had merged into the BJP to help it form the government.

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Maharashtra

Kasturba Marg Police recover 100 stolen mobile phones, return them to their original owners

Published

20 hours ago

on

October 3, 2026

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Acting on complaints regarding stolen and lost mobile phones within the jurisdiction of the Kasturba Marg Police Station in Mumbai, police analyzed data from the CEIR portal and conducted technical investigations. By verifying device details, IMEI numbers, and user information, officers from the Kasturba Marg Police Station tracked down and recovered a total of 100 mobile phones from locations across Mumbai and other parts of Maharashtra.

The total estimated value of the 100 recovered mobile phones is ₹2,270,658. Of these, 18 phones have already been returned to their respective owners/complainants, including: 1) Rajendra Puri, 2) Khush Saw, 3) Kripa Lodhiya, 4) Shreya Satam, 5) Atul Sathe, 6) Priyanka Mistri, 7) Banu Tarang, 8) Prem Gupta, 9) Adya Shaikh, 10) Shweta Shah, 11) Sandhya Pandit, 12) Deepak Sawdekar, 13) Saurabh Jhangar, 14) Ketan Shete, 15) Onkar Raut, 16) Jayalal Yadav, 17) Lakshmi Appa Kripagiri, and 18) Praveen Dubey. The process of returning the remaining phones to their owners is currently underway.

This operation was carried out under the supervision of the DCP (North, Zone 3), Mumbai, by the team at Kasturba Marg Police Station, led by Balasaheb Bunkar.

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Crime

CBI books Mumbai firm, officials in Rs 93.44 crore loan fraud case

Published

22 hours ago

on

October 3, 2026

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Mumbai, Oct 3: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) conducted searches at multiple premises in Mumbai and registered a Rs 93.44 crore bank fraud case against officials of Hanjer Biotech Energies on the complaint of Punjab National Bank, an official said on Saturday.

The CBI conducted searches on Friday at multiple premises linked to the directors of Hanjer Biotech Energies in Mumbai, the CBI said in a statement.

The CBI registered the instant case on September 30, 2026, on the complaint of Punjab National Bank, SAM Branch, Mumbai, against Hanjer Biotech Energies, its directors and guarantors, unknown public servants and unknown private persons.

The accused were booked for offences of criminal conspiracy for cheating and offences under the Prevention of Corruption Act, resulting in alleged wrongful loss of approximately Rs 93.44 Crore to the bank.

It was alleged that the accused entered into a criminal conspiracy, obtained term loan of Rs 135 crore on the invoices of its related party and diverted/siphoned off the funds for other purposes for which it was not sanctioned, causing loss to the bank, the CBI said.

During the searches on Friday, incriminating bank documents and property documents relevant to the investigation were recovered and seized.

Investigation is continuing to ascertain the full extent of the conspiracy, identify the role of all involved persons, including public servants and private individuals, and trace the end-use of the loan funds, the CBI said.

In a separate case on Friday, the CBI arrested an Executive Engineer of the Central Public Works Department (CPWD), Mumbai, his relative and three officials of a Mumbai-based real estate group, in a Rs 50 lakh bribery case related to the issuance of a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) for a land parcel.

Vikrant Verma, Executive Engineer, CPWD Mumbai; Saurav Gupta, Verma’s relative based in Pune; and Arvind Semwal, Vice President, Baya Company, were among those named in the FIR by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday, an official said.

The arrested accused were produced before the Special CBI Judge in Mumbai on Friday, the official said in a statement.

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Maharashtra

Monsoon Withdraws Further from Maharashtra; Hot and Humid Weather Alert Issued for Konkan Region

Published

24 hours ago

on

October 3, 2026

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MUMBAI PRESS — The India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced on Saturday, October 3, 2026, that the Southwest Monsoon has withdrawn from parts of Maharashtra, as well as the remaining regions of North India, Gujarat, and Madhya Pradesh.

The current withdrawal line of the Southwest Monsoon passes through Harnai, Baramati, Parbhani, and Brahmapuri in Maharashtra, extending northeastward through Raipur, Ranchi, and Supaul. Weather officials stated that conditions are favorable for further retreat from most parts of Marathwada, Vidarbha, and additional areas of Madhya Maharashtra over the next 2 to 3 days.

Hot and Humid Stretch for Coastal Maharashtra
Residents in the coastal belt should prepare for elevated discomfort over the weekend. The IMD has issued a hot and humid weather warning for Konkan & Goa prevailing from October 3 through October 5.
Following this dry and muggy stretch, mild weather activity is expected to return to the region. Isolated to scattered rainfall is forecast across Konkan & Goa and Madhya Maharashtra between October 6 and October 9.

Southern and Northeastern Forecast
While monsoon forces retreat from central and northern parts of India, southern states are bracing for heavy downpours. Isolated heavy rainfall is predicted over Kerala, Mahe, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal from October 4 to October 6, with South Interior Karnataka expected to receive heavy spells on October 5 and 6.

In the northeast, isolated heavy rainfall is expected to continue over Assam, Meghalaya, and Arunachal Pradesh through October 3.

Advisory for Fishermen
Due to lower-tropospheric cyclonic circulations over the Arabian Sea, the IMD has urged fishermen not to venture into the sea along and off the Kerala coast, Lakshadweep, Maldives, and the Comorin area on October 3. Farmers in heavy rainfall zones have also been advised to ensure proper field drainage and move harvested crops to covered storage to prevent crop damage.

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